


Trumping Trump?

by perry_avenue



Series: The Sweet DREAMers 'Verse [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Immigrant Rights, Klaine, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 18:52:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4677536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perry_avenue/pseuds/perry_avenue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt and Blaine are enjoying some much needed couples time before the Fall semester begins, Kurt having just returned from six weeks in Ohio visiting his dad.  Life would be amazing if Donald Trump wasn’t running for President, and if he hadn’t just announced his immigration “policy” on Meet the Press. Part of the <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/series/312980"> Sweet DREAMers ‘Verse. </a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Trumping Trump?

**Author's Note:**

> **Author’s Note:** If you haven’t read the original [ _Sweet DREAMers,_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3419171/chapters/7489244) Blaine Anderson is a business major at Baruch College of the City University of New York (CUNY). Blaine came to the United States from the Philippines on a tourist visa with his mom when he was three years old and since then, has lived in Woodside, Queens with his mom and cousin Marco. As a gay, undocumented student, he has the questionable good fortune to belong to two marginalized populations. Blaine is in a relationship with Kurt Hummel, a U.S. citizen from Lima, Ohio, and a theatre major attending New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. 
> 
> It adds to the enjoyment of this fic if you’re familiar with the plot, the characters, and their personalities from the earlier work, but if you’re not prepared to read thirty four chapters first, then [ chapters 30-34 ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3419171/chapters/10028249) will introduce you to the key plot points and supporting characters that are important to “Trumping Trump.”
> 
> Huge thanks to my wonderful beta, [ flowerfan ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerfan/pseuds/flowerfan)
> 
> **Note:** This fic was edited by the author after publication.

Time has advanced eight months from where the original _Sweet DREAMers_ ended.

**_Sunday, August 16, 2015_**

Kurt woke up slowly, reveling in the novelty of sharing his bed with his gorgeous boyfriend again. He felt like a man who had reached the oasis after a month in the desert. It wasn’t a bad analogy…he had been in Ohio, visiting his dad, for a good chunk of the summer, and much of that time was spent pining for Blaine. But he had been back in New York for a week, and he and Blaine had been together as much as possible, making up for lost time.

At the moment, Blaine was the big spoon and fast asleep; his body tightly wrapped around Kurt’s, his arm thrown protectively around Kurt’s waist, and his face nestled against Kurt’s shoulder blade. Normally, these were all good things, wonderful things, actually, but it was mid-August in New York City, and the air conditioning was losing the battle with the summer heat. Kurt’s back and neck were wet with sweat and he wondered if he could gently extricate himself from Blaine without waking him.

Kurt moved forward slowly, away from Blaine. He heard the soft sound of Blaine’s head falling back against the pillow, and felt his boyfriend’s hand slide back and away from his waist. Blaine’s breathing changed, and he mumbled something unintelligible. Kurt held his breath and waited. When there were no further sounds, Kurt rolled so he was facing his boyfriend. The sweat on Kurt’s back and neck began to evaporate, now that it was exposed to the air in the room. Kurt sighed happily as he gazed at the sleeping face of the man with whom he was hopelessly and helplessly in love, his curls askew, his face covered in stubble. He looked absolutely delicious. 

Kurt reached for his phone on the table by his bed to check the time. It was just past 7:30 am. He laid back down and closed his eyes. He was not in any hurry to get out of bed this morning.

*****

When Kurt and Blaine finally got up, Kurt decided to experiment with cheese popovers as part of a Sunday morning breakfast that also included fresh-squeezed orange juice, savory scrambled eggs, fresh berries, and fresh-brewed coffee. Blaine, who had helped prepare the meal, moaned over how good the popovers came out. They sat at the table, eating contentedly, and enjoying some quiet time together.

Blaine looked at the oven clock to check the time. 

“Hey, would you mind if I watch ‘Meet the Press’? It’s coming on in a few minutes.”

Kurt looked at Blaine curiously. “Why? Who’s on ‘Meet the Press’?”

“Donald Trump.”

Kurt looked at Blaine in shock. “God, Blaine. Why would you want to watch _him_?”

“Well, I missed the Republican debates and this is a one-on-one interview. I’m curious. I want to see why so many people find him appealing. You don’t have to watch it if you don’t want to,” Blaine reached for Kurt’s hand and squeezed it. “But I’d like it if you decide to watch with me.”

“Know thy enemy?” asked Kurt curiously.

“Something like that,” Blaine said with a shrug. 

*****

Elliott had just dressed following a morning shower, and joined his boyfriend Matt, who was sitting in front of the TV in the living room, channel surfing.

“Hi, babe,” said Elliott as he leaned over to kiss Matt on the cheek. “What are you watching?”

“’Meet the Press’ has an interview with Donald Trump. I want to see it.”

“Ugh!” Elliott said with a shudder. “I find his candidacy so disturbing!”

“So do I,” replied Matt. “But I want to watch anyway, for science.”

“Would you mind if I didn’t?”

“Not at all.”

Elliott puttered in the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. Matt unmuted the TV and the voice of Meet the Press’s Chuck Todd filled the apartment.

“This Sunday, face to face with Donald Trump. My interview with the man leading the polls, on birtherism, ISIS, and his plan on illegal immigration.”

Elliott’s eyes widened. “Illegal immigration? I want to hear this.” He grabbed his coffee cup and sat down next to Matt.

*****

Kurt and Blaine were nestled together on the sofa. Kurt squeezed Blaine's arm and Blaine turned to look at him. Chuck Todd’s voice over continued, mentioning the other stories being featured on the show. “Blaine! He’s going to talk about illegal immigration!!”

”Why am I not surprised?” Blaine replied grimly. Kurt hugged his boyfriend tightly against his chest, and did not let go.

*****  
_Author’s Note: What follows is the text of the actual “Meet the Press” interview, taken from the written transcript provided by NBC News._

CHUCK TODD:  
Welcome back. Few things that Donald Trump has said during the campaign has attracted more attention than his negative comments about Mexican immigrants. However, he has been light on detail on how he'd address illegal immigration. Well, yesterday on his plane, he handed me his immigration plan, about an eight-page plan. He wants to end the automatic right of citizenship for anyone born in the country. 

That's probably the biggest news in the plan. And he plans to immediately rescind President Obama's executive order that stopped the deportations of some younger undocumented immigrants who had entered the country as children. Here's a little bit more from him. 

(BEGIN TAPE)  
DONALD TRUMP:  
The executive order gets rescinded. One good thing about—

CHUCK TODD:  
You'll rescind that one, too? 

DONALD TRUMP:  
One good thing about—

CHUCK TODD:  
You'll rescind the DREAM Act executive order—

DONALD TRUMP:  
You're going to have to. 

CHUCK TODD:  
DACA? 

DONALD TRUMP:  
We have to make a whole new set of standards. And when people come in, they have to come in legally-

CHUCK TODD:  
So you're going to split up families? 

DONALD TRUMP:  
Chuck.

CHUCK TODD:  
You're going to deport children—

DONALD TRUMP:  
Chuck. No, no. We're going to keep the families together. We have to keep the families together. 

CHUCK TODD:  
But you're going to keep them together out—

DONALD TRUMP:  
But they have to go. But they have to go. 

CHUCK TODD:  
What if they have no place to go? 

DONALD TRUMP:  
We will work with them. They have to go. Chuck, we either have a country or we don't have a country. 

CHUCK TODD:  
The cost of—

DONALD TRUMP:  
Either, we have a country—

CHUCK TODD:  
\--doing this—

DONALD TRUMP:  
\--or not. 

CHUCK TODD:  
How do you do it? 

DONALD TRUMP:  
The cost of doing it? Look at the cost of what we have right now. 

CHUCK TODD:  
But the cost of doing it. 

DONALD TRUMP:  
Let me ask you this. Do you think there's—

CHUCK TODD:  
I understand that. But how do you it? 

DONALD TRUMP:  
Do you think there's tremendous cost for the illegals that are in here right now? 

CHUCK TODD:  
Of course there's cost to it. 

DONALD TRUMP:  
Okay, tremendous. Do you think there's tremendous crime being committed by illegals? 

CHUCK TODD:  
I know there's definitely evidence that it's happened. 

DONALD TRUMP:  
Tremendous--  
(OVERTALK) 

CHUCK TODD:  
\--heinous crimes—

DONALD TRUMP:  
Far greater than what—  
(OVERTALK) 

CHUCK TODD:  
There's been some heinous ones. 

DONALD TRUMP:  
And you see it all over. Just last night. All over. We will do it. And we will expedite it so people can come back in. 

CHUCK TODD:  
It's still not clear to me here—

DONALD TRUMP:  
Chuck, it'll work out so well. You will be so happy. In four years, you're going to be interviewing me and you're going to say, "What a great job you've done, President Trump." 

*****

“Oh my god,” said Kurt very slowly as his breath left his lungs, once the interview ended. Blaine sat rigidly next to him, his hands curled into fists. Kurt gently touched his arm. “Blaine? Can that actually even be done? Round up eleven million people?”

Blaine let out an exasperated sigh. “There are so many things wrong with what he said. He’s doing what he does so well, twisting facts to tell people whatever he thinks they want to hear.” He stood up and started pacing back and forth in front of the sofa. “And I can’t believe Chuck Todd actually seemed to agree with some of the things Trump said, like the idea that so many crimes have been committed by undocumented immigrants, that’s not even true! And he’s been challenged on it!”

“Blaine, can a President actually round up eleven million people and send them away?” Kurt repeated softly, his eyes filled with tears.

Blaine saw how upset Kurt looked and gathered him into his arms, holding him as tightly as he could. “Not easily, and it’s for a much bigger reason than how unspeakably inhumane it would be.”

Kurt looked at Blaine with a puzzled expression on his face. “What could be bigger than that?”

“It would wreck the U.S. agricultural economy, because there would be no one to harvest the crops. Those are very hard jobs no U.S. worker wants to take. Money is a language everyone understands. For economic reasons alone, it’s not likely to happen.” Blaine gently wiped his finger under both of Kurt’s eyes, catching his tears before they fell. “I know you’re upset. I am, too. There’s a lot of hate behind his words. But it’s one year and three months until the election, and lots can happen.” 

Blaine pulled Kurt into his lap. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine’s neck and tucked his head against Blaine’s shoulder. Blaine’s hand stroked up and down Kurt’s back in a soothing motion. “Now, you have to promise me something.”

Kurt wasn’t budging, not wanting to let Blaine go. “What?” came the muffled voice from Blaine’s shoulder.

“You have to promise you won’t shop for engagement rings, won’t see an immigration attorney and won’t overly obsess about this election fiftteen months early. And if any of these things start to make you crazy, you’ll talk to me about it.”

Kurt lifted his head to look at his boyfriend. “I know where this is coming from,” he said wryly.

“Yes you do,” agreed Blaine. “Consider it a pre-emptive strike on my part to avoid any fights or tears or people walking out of apartments when they shouldn’t.” 

“That’s just a polite way of you saying ‘Kurt, don’t have an anxiety attack over this.’”

“Pretty much,” said Blaine, kissing Kurt soundly.

“But how can you even joke about it? He’s crazy, and this could affect you, your mom, and eleven million others.”

“Yes, and their friends, lovers, relatives, partners, employers, co-workers, teachers, religious leaders, everyone whose lives are touched by immigrants. But it’s all going to be up to the voters. My mom and I have to rely on you, Marco, your Dad, all your friends, all of my friends, to make sure this doesn’t happen. Can I count on you, Kurt? Are you registered to vote?”

Kurt hesitated. He had registered in Ohio when he turned eighteen, but that was almost three years ago, and he hadn’t voted since. He had never registered in New York.

Blaine noticed Kurt’s hesitation, and his eyes widened. “Kurt, I’ll be counting on you. Literally counting on you. Make sure you’re registered and vote in this election so you won’t have to worry about the next one.”

Kurt felt embarrassed. “I’ll call my dad and find out what I need to do to get an absentee ballot. I promise.”

“Good. And while you’re at it, ask your dad if _he’s_ registered to vote, too!”

*****

After “Meet the Press” was over, Blaine decided to go on line and look up Trump’s immigration proposal. Kurt was on his phone, and planned to call his dad right then to ask about his voter registration, when his phone buzzed with a text from Elliott, asking if he was free to talk. As Kurt typed his response, he heard Blaine’s phone buzz as well. Blaine checked his phone, and looked at Kurt, who was looking back at him.

“It’s Matt,” said Blaine. He’s asking if I’m able to talk to him.”

“Mine’s from Elliott, asking the same thing! I wonder what’s up?”

“Should we call them back and see what’s going on?”

Kurt sat down at the table while Blaine remained on the sofa. “Sure,” he said.

“Hey, Matt! What’s up?”

“Hi Blaine, just calling to say hi and check in with you. Elliott and I were watching the 'Meet the Press' interview with Trump.”

“Funny thing about that, we were, too.”

“Oh, so you’re at Kurt’s?”

“Yeah, Kurt’s right here, talking to Elliott. Do you want to end one of the calls and we can all talk together, or did you want to keep them separate?”

“No, we just didn’t want to assume you were in the same place.”

“Are you kidding me? You know we spent over a month apart! I’ll tell Kurt to hang up and we can all talk together.” 

Kurt nodded to show he had heard Blaine. “Hanging up now,” he said to Elliott. I guess we’re joining Matt’s call with Blaine.” Kurt walked over to the sofa and sat down beside Blaine, resting his hand on his boyfriend’s thigh. 

“I think we’re all together now,” said Matt. "Blaine, you were saying how you and Kurt spent so much time apart. So, you’re rekindling the relationship by watching ‘Meet the Press?’ Fun times!”

Blaine sighed. “Sarcasm noted.”

“Seriously,” said Matt. “What Trump is saying has got to be so personal for you, and your family. I really called just to tell you I’m thinking about you and I want to support you in any way I can.”

“And I called Kurt in case I needed to talk him off any metaphorical ledges,” said Elliott. “Hi, Blaine.”

Blaine laughed. “Kurt and I just had a similar conversation.”

“Wait a minute,” said Kurt, bristling just a bit. “Don’t be concerned about me, be concerned for Blaine and his mom! They’re the ones directly affected by Trump’s proposals. You can start helping him right now. Are you guys registered to vote?” Blaine turned to Kurt with a big smile on his face, kissed him gently on the cheek, and squeezed his hand.

“That’s an affirmative,” said Matt. There was no sound from Elliott.

“Elliott?” Kurt asked. “If you’re not a registered voter, that’s what you need to do to help Blaine.”

“Not to worry,” said Matt. “I’ll make sure he gets registered. I can always threaten to withhold sex as a punishment until he does!”

“Matt!!” Elliott exclaimed. 

“Guys!” said Kurt, embarrassed for his best friend. “TMI!”

“Plus, he doesn’t want Matt to give me any ideas,” Blaine said laughing.

“Oh,” said Elliott. “The cat’s out of the bag now, Kurt! Looks like we both need to get registered.”

“No. I’m actually okay! I just need to make sure I get an absentee ballot from Ohio.” 

“Matt, you always have smart things to say about socio-political issues,” said Blaine. “What’s your take on what you heard this morning?”

“Oh, man,” said Matt. “Trump’s campaign is an analytical gold mine for anyone in the social sciences. I’ll just say two things for now. First, Trump is trying to position himself as a populist, someone who can represent the interests of the common people.”

“How is that even possible?” asked Kurt. “He’s worth several billion dollars!”

“But that’s the beauty of it!” Matt continued. “He can claim to represent the common people because his wealth allows him not to be beholden to any special interests. Remember what Jeff Greenfield said to Chuck Todd on ‘Meet the Press’ after the interview was over? He quoted Trump from the debates. ‘I can't be bought, and I'm too rich to steal.’ Trump has a lot of appeal for people who are fed up with the intransience of the politicians in Washington, and believe all the other candidates are tied to the ideas of the wealthy people who fund their campaigns. And the fact that Trump speaks without a filter makes some people feel he understands them.”

“But the guy spews hate!” Kurt exclaimed. 

“Yes,” agreed Matt. “Which brings me to my second point. When Trump bashes Mexicans, and immigrants, and connects them to violent crimes, taking jobs away from Americans, higher health care expenses, all those things, it combines immigration with race as a focus of hatred. Just substitute the word “black” for “immigrant” in any of Trump’s comments and you’ll see what I mean. There are some whites who worry about becoming a minority race in the United States, and for them, the only true Americans are white Americans. Do you know that many in the white supremacy movement are thrilled Trump talks about undocumented immigration as a mortal threat to the United States? They believe they’ve found their presidential candidate! So if you want to be scared about something, be scared about that!”

“Well, so much for my hope that an analysis from a PhD sociology student would make me feel better,” said Kurt. He looked at Blaine, who hadn’t said a word since Matt started talking. Instead, he was staring into his lap.

“Matt,” Kurt continued. “This has been very educational, but I think it freaked Blaine out a bit. Okay if we end the call? We do appreciate your concern. Elliott, I’ll talk to you, if not later tonight, then tomorrow.” 

“Sorry guys,” said Matt. “I know I get carried away with this stuff. Blaine, I don’t mean to sound insensitive.”

Matt’s apology was enough to shake Blaine out of his funk. “No, Matt. I was the one who asked the question. So thank you. Really. It’s just the hard truths can be tough to hear sometimes.”

Kurt put his arm around Blaine’s back, and pulled him into a sideways hug. “Okay everyone. Thanks for calling, and thanks for caring. We both appreciate it. ‘Bye now.”

Blaine closed his phone, and tossed it on the coffee table in front of them. Kurt stretched out on the sofa, and pulled Blaine down on top of him. Blaine snuggled against Kurt’s chest, fisting his shirt with one hand. Kurt ran his hands up and down Blaine’s back and arm. 

“Oh, sweetie,” said Kurt. “I wish Matt hadn’t said what he did. It upset me, too.”

Blaine lifted his head to look at Kurt. “I was starting to feel sorry for myself, and tell you the next year or so is really going to suck. And then I realized that would be a truly insane way to live my life, because I have so many good things that make me happy, and you’re at the top of the list. Someone once told me to get my head out of my ass, and remember you love me. I think that’s really good advice.”

Kurt chuckled and hugged Blaine. “Whoever told you that was very smart! Ouch!” Kurt cried out as Blaine pinched his arm. They both settled back into a comfortable position. “I do love you, so much. And I am VERY protective of the people I love.” Kurt paused while he thought about what he wanted to say next. “It’s been a bit of a trying morning. Do you want to go back to the bedroom and work off some stress?”

Blaine lifted his head again, this time grinning at Kurt. “Oh, we’re calling it work, now?”

“You can call it anything you want,” Kurt replied, his voice low and throaty. “I’m yours to command.”

Blaine’s eyes flashed, and he leaned down to devour Kurt’s mouth. Kurt gave a soft moan and eagerly deepened the kiss. A few minutes later, Blaine broke the kiss, stood up, and pulled Kurt to a standing position next to him. Then he hurried Kurt along to the bedroom.

*****

Several hours later, both Kurt and Blaine were freshly showered and dressed to go to Blaine’s house for the dinner Janelle was preparing for them. 

“The apartment’s not air conditioned, so dress as comfortably as you can,” Blaine had warned earlier. Kurt had chosen a thin v neck short sleeve tee shirt, tucked into light weight shorts. Blaine wore a light-weight polo and shorts. 

Blaine moved to pick up his backpack and messenger bag, but Kurt stopped him, and wrapped him in a hug instead.

“I’m so glad you were able to spend nearly a week with me here,” Kurt murmured. “I’m so glad I can hold you again. I missed you so much.”

“Mom knew how hard it had been for me, with you in Ohio for so long. She had no problem with me being here. She said it was like I was taking a well-deserved vacation with you. And the two of you have developed a really sweet relationship. She loves having you come for dinner. So don’t be surprised if she throws herself at you today when you get there. I’m not the only member of the family who’s missed you.”

“My fan club,” Kurt replied, grinning back. “But only you have my heart, just to be clear.”

Blaine blinked, and kissed Kurt firmly on the lips. “As you have mine,” he said softly.

They headed out from Kurt’s apartment and crossed the street at Union Square to take the subway uptown to Grand Central Station, and changed to the 7 train to Queens. The stations were stifling hot, but the subways were cool thanks to the air conditioning.

*****

Forty minutes later, they were in Woodside, Queens. After stopping at a bodega so Kurt could buy an assortment of fresh flowers for Janelle, they reached the front entrance to Blaine’s apartment building. They took the elevator upstairs to the fifth floor. Once there, Blaine used his key to open the door to his family’s apartment. “We’re here!” he called out.

“Oh!” exclaimed Janelle from the kitchen. She stepped into the small entry hall of the apartment and opened her arms wide, greeting Kurt with a big smile. “Kurt, dear!” Janelle said excitedly. “It’s so good to have you back. I’ve missed you!”

“I’ve missed you, too!” said Kurt, stepping into the hug and kissing Janelle on the cheek. “It’s great to be back in New York. It’s great to see you again. Here, these are for you.” Kurt placed the flowers in Janelle’s hand.

Janelle smiled again at Kurt. “Such pretty flowers. Thank you! With you here, I feel like my family is complete again. Our Sunday dinners just haven’t been the same.” 

“Oh, that’s so sweet. I’ve missed them, too.” Kurt couldn’t help but glance at Blaine, whose eyes were shining at him.

“It’s nice to see Blaine so happy again, now that you’re back,” said Janelle. “I’m glad you were able to have some time together before you both get busy with school.”

“It’s been a wonderful way to recover from having been apart for so long.” Kurt looked around. “Where’s Marco?” 

“He should be here soon,” replied Janelle. “He went to get his girlfriend Bianca. They’re both joining us for dinner.”

“It’ll be nice to catch up.” Kurt inhaled appreciatively. “Dinner smells delicious.” 

“Thank you,” Janelle replied. “I’m making Pork Adobo. I know having things cooking on the stove doesn’t help in this heat, but hopefully the fans will compensate.”

“Oh, wow. Pork Adobo! Thank you.”

Janelle beamed at Kurt. “I know how much you like it! How could I not make it for you?”

“Mom, I’m going to start getting jealous if Kurt becomes your favorite,” Blaine teased.

“Uh, oh,” said Kurt, joining in the fun.

“Boys,” said Janelle with a big smile. 

Kurt turned to Blaine. “I’m glad I’ll see Marco and Bianca tonight. Your cousin is such a fun guy.”

“There’s two more people coming, Tina and her sister Sara.”

Kurt’s eyes widened. “Wow, this is turning into quite the party! Sara will be a great person to talk to about what we saw on ‘Meet the Press’ today.”

“Yes,” interjected Janelle. “It’s always nice to know a law student who’s studying to be an immigration attorney at times like these. But do _not_ get me started on Donald Trump right now. I watched ‘Meet the Press’ this morning with Marco, and it was all I could do not to scream at the TV!”

“Maybe we should postpone this discussion for now, otherwise you’ll never finish making dinner,” said Blaine. “What can Kurt and I do to help?”

“Thank you, dear,” said Janelle. “There’s seven of us, so please take out the folding table, and the extra chairs, and place the table so it straddles the living room and hall. Then you boys can set it.”

“Just smelling the Adobo is reminding me how hungry I am,” Kurt said smiling.

The front door to the apartment opened, and Marco, Bianca, Tina and Sara entered. They greeted Blaine and Kurt with enthusiastic hugs.

“Wow,” said Blaine. “I didn’t expect you all to arrive at the same time.”

“It was just one of those coincidences,” said Tina. “We were all on the same train, but we didn’t see each other until we were exiting the station. We all got to walk here together.”

Sara was holding a covered dish, and followed Janelle into the kitchen. “I made vegetable stir fry,” 

“Thank you!” replied Janelle. “That was very sweet of you to bring something.”

“Put me to work, Janelle,” Sara said. “Tell me what I can do to help.”

“Us, too,” said Tina, as she, Bianca, and Marco stuck their heads into the kitchen.

Janelle quickly gave everyone an assignment, and the kitchen buzzed with Tina and Bianca washing and drying the dishes and utensils in the sink, Sara helping prepare the salad, and Marco slicing mangos and a fresh pineapple for dessert.

“You’ve really outdone yourself, Aunt Janelle,” said Marco as he carefully cut along the rind of the pineapple. “Kurt, this is all on account of you! Thanks!”

Kurt laughed, put his arm around Blaine’s waist, and hugged his boyfriend to him. “I missed being here, but no-where near as much as I missed Blaine.” Kurt looked into Blaine’s eyes and smiled softly. “I am so, so happy to be here with you, and your family. It’s like I’m finally home.”

Blaine smiled tenderly at Kurt, and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. Everyone else exchanged knowing smiles. 

“We don’t need sugar when those two are around,” teased Tina.

“They’re adorable,” agreed Sara.

“Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes,” Janelle announced. “The table’s set, so let’s bring in the salad, along with some nice cold drinks and a bowl of ice, and sit down.”

*****

The quiet drone of the floor fans were a backdrop for the conversation around the dinner table. Janelle sat at the head, with Kurt, Blaine and Sara seated to her right, and Marco, Bianca and Tina on her left. After the salad was finished, Janelle served the Adobo, vegetable stir fry, and rice. Everyone commented on how good the food tasted. Up to that point, the conversation was mostly updates on what each person had been doing over the summer. But once the table was cleared of the main course, and the dessert of fresh mangos and pineapple distributed, Janelle changed the topic.

“Marco and I watched ‘Meet the Press’ this morning. And Kurt told me earlier he and Blaine saw it at his apartment. What about the rest of you?”

“I watched with my dad,” said Bianca. “Marco and I talked about it a bit on our way over here.”

“Tina and I watched it with our mom,” said Sara. 

Janelle smiled approvingly. “Well, you’re all smart college students. What did you think of it?”

“My parents immigrated here from Colombia twenty years ago,” said Bianca, by way of explanation. “I remember when Dad was watching the Republican debate nearly two weeks ago, when Trump was on. Dad pointed out he had to admire a country where ten candidates from the opposition party could go on national television and criticize the policies of the current leader. In so many countries, that would never happen, because dissent just isn’t permitted. Instead, the result would have been arrest, imprisonment, exile or death. He reminded me that despite so many people being troubled by a Trump candidacy, there is good in a system that permits so many diverse opinions to be heard.”

“But you were also telling me about the thing you had seen on Tumblr, the comment by the reporter from a New Zealand paper,” reminded Marco. “You should let everyone see it. Can you find it on your phone?”

Bianca reached into her pocket. She found the post quickly. “Here. This is the one I showed Marco. Take a look!”

Everyone nodded in agreement as the phone was passed around. Kurt was the last one to see it. As he gave the phone back to Bianca, he spoke. “I said this to Blaine this morning, but one of the things I honestly can’t imagine actually happening is Trump’s promise to expel all the undocumented immigrants and their families from the United States. That’s over eleven million people. How does a nation’s leader forcibly remove eleven million people? I mean, I can’t even wrap my brain around the logistics or cost of something like that.”

“The law students who work for NYU’s Immigrant Rights Clinic have discussed it,” said Sara. “Imagine the endless litigation that would result from most illegal immigrants seeking legal help to fight removal. It would tie up the immigration courts for decades. We are a country governed by the ‘rule of law,’ after all.”

“Unless Trump changes that, too,” Marco said sarcastically.

Blaine reached for Kurt’s hand under the table and squeezed it before speaking. “It’s so easy to blame immigrants whenever something goes wrong. Hate and scapegoating of foreigners are themes that get repeated over and over again, not just in the U.S. but throughout the world. Trump plays right into that fear. We get blamed for crimes, for taking jobs away from Americans, for increasing health care costs. But have you been reading all those ‘fact check’ articles that refute every one of those claims with reports and statistics? All those people who want Trump… it’s like they’ve put their hands over their ears and say ‘don’t confuse me with facts.’ They don’t even care that Trump lies.”

Tina nodded in agreement. “There’s so much hate, and it just makes me sad. I think of all the good things that have happened, like the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality in all the states, or the striking down of laws in the 1950’s and 60’s that promoted segregation or denied some U.S. citizens the right to vote. Even though you can pass laws to protect people, you can’t legislate away the hate. I mean, look at Ferguson, Missouri, and all those other places where unarmed blacks were shot and killed by the police. It pains me that someone like Trump can appeal to so many people. He’s speaking their language, saying what they want to hear.”

Janelle looked around the table. “Trump is all about personality and really not about the issues at all, despite his saying this morning that he has a ‘policy’ for immigration. He reminds me of the candidates for public office we’ve had in the Philippines, and in so many other countries around the world. I’m thinking of the ones who have absolutely no plans to improve the lives of citizens, but instead speak to their emotions, or are there to entertain, or have no real skills at all, they’re just related to a former leader.”

“We have a few of those in both parties,” said Kurt. “Some have more leadership ability than others, though. And you’re right about the entertainment value. I read Trump brought his helicopter to the Iowa State Fair and offered rides to children!”

Marco shook his head. “I remember what one of my professors said last semester, in a political science course I took. She read a quote she said was attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville. ‘In a democracy, we get the government we deserve.’”

Blaine grinned. “That’s a great quote.” 

“It really is, and it’s centuries old. He was a French historian and politician during the mid-1800s,” Marco replied. 

Tina looked like she was on the verge of tears. “This makes me so upset, and I’m a U.S. citizen! What about Janelle and Blaine, who have the most to fear if Trump is ever elected? I’m sorry, but it just gets me so scared!”

Sara stood up quickly and put her arms around her younger sister to comfort her. Kurt grabbed Blaine’s hand under the table, and Blaine cupped his other hand over Kurt’s, holding it tightly.

Janelle looked at Tina with a concerned expression. “Oh, my dear, it upsets you because you have a good heart. And that’s exactly what’s needed, all the people with good hearts in this country who will refuse to accept the hate that’s spewed by others. I’m not convinced Trump _will_ actually be elected. But maybe a candidate like him will force people to examine their values, and maybe become more involved in the political process in a positive way. Remember, things have _never_ been easy for undocumented immigrants. There have been good things, like DACA that helped Blaine so much, but there have been so many disappointments, too. Somehow we manage to survive the ups and downs.” Janelle paused. “Are you okay, dear?”

Tina sniffed but seemed to regain her composure. “Yes. I’m very sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Tina,” said Blaine. “You’re one of my closest friends, and I’m grateful you care about me and mom. You know what you need to do to help us?”

“What?” asked Tina, wiping her eyes with a tissue.

“You need to be sure to vote in the Presidential election. You, Marco, Bianca, and Sara. And everyone you know.”

“Blaine makes an important point,” said Sara. “We’ve been talking about this at the Clinic. Many of us think there will be a huge voter registration effort during 2016, especially in the Asian and Hispanic communities, to get as many citizens registered as possible.”

Kurt turned to Blaine. “Don’t be surprised if I become very involved with voter registration.”

Blaine smiled and squeezed Kurt’s hand between his. “My boyfriend the actor activist.” He said proudly.

“You know it!” Kurt replied with conviction. “I can see it now. They’ll put me on a stage, I’ll sing some Sondheim to draw a crowd, and people can fill out their voter applications while they’re entertained!”

“As long as you don’t promise them helicopter rides!” said Marco, grinning. Everyone around the table laughed with him.

“That’s enough political discussion for tonight,” said Janelle. “Let’s clean up, and then we can all relax some more.” She opened her arms to give Tina a hug, and they embraced. 

Kurt pulled Blaine aside after they brought their dirty dishes to the kitchen. He took both of Blaine’s hands in his. “You know that we’re in this together, right? Whatever happens, we’ll make it work.”

Blaine had nothing but love in his eyes as he gazed at Kurt. “I know, babe. I love you.”

“I love you, too. And I’m serious about getting involved with voter registration. Unless someone comes along with a better idea, I’ll be out there, and I’m taking Elliott, Matt and Santana with me! Plus I’ll get to practice my singing at the same time. Hey, we could make it a ‘Tisch Students Get Out The Vote’ project and we’ll all perform!”

Blaine burst out laughing, and drew Kurt into a hug. “You are amazing!”

**Author's Note:**

> Read the next fic in the Sweet DREAMer's Verse, [ Sunday in the Park with Kurt (and Blaine). ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5182112)
> 
> Read the newest fic, [ Validation, ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6039184/chapters/13847068)  
> which follows the original Sweet DREAMers chronologically.
> 
> Your comments are important to me. I would love to hear from you!
> 
> There are numerous commentaries in the media on Donald Trump’s candidacy in general and his immigration “policy” in particular. Below are some links I found particularly helpful, including the official video of the “Meet the Press” interview, as well as the full transcript of the interview. In addition, the opinions of several friends and colleagues (including two immigration attorneys and friends who are citizens of countries other than the United States) were voiced by some of the characters.
> 
> [ Meet the Press Interview – August 16, 2015 ](http://www.nbc.com/meet-the-press/video/meet-the-press-august-16-2015/2889258?onid=210121#vc210121=1)
> 
> [ Meet the Press Interview Transcript ](http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-transcript-august-16-2015-n412636)
> 
> [ Trump’s Immigration Proposal –released August 16, 2015 ](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform)
> 
> [ New York Times Article on Trump’s staying power August 22 2015 ](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/us/politics/why-donald-trump-wont-fold-polls-and-people-speak.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news)
> 
> [ Fact Check: Trump’s Immigration Plan USA Today August 20, 2015 ](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/08/20/fact-check-donald-trump-immigration-plan/32073893/) 
> 
> [ Donald Trump’s Imaginary Immigration Haul August 2015 ](http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/08/donald-trumps-imaginary-immigration-haul-000202?hp=r1_4)
> 
> [ The Washington Post: Donald Trump’s Immigration Plan Would Wreck Havoc On U.S. Society August 17, 2015 ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/donald-trumps-immigration-plan-would-wreck-havoc-on-us-society/2015/08/17/19703368-451d-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html?hpid=z3)
> 
> [ Trump offers free helicopter rides just outside the Iowa state Fair – August 15, 2015 ](http://nypost.com/2015/08/15/trump-gives-kids-free-helicopter-rides-at-iowa-state-fair/)  
>    
> [ New Yorker Article: (this article connects the White Supremacy Movement to a Trump Candidacy) August 2015 ](http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/08/31/the-fearful-and-the-frustrated)


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